Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) recently announced that Anna Maria Chávez has been appointed to CEO of GSUSA. Chávez is set to officially assume her new role at the Girl Scouts National Council Session/52nd Convention in November. To view her video, click here.

The Women's Museum to Close Its Doors

Recently we learned that the Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future, would be closing its doors at the end of October after eleven years. Click here to read GSNETX CEO, Colleen Walker's, comments and suggestions on how we can keep the stories of women's journeys alive.

This holiday season, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas are giving back to the community! Through a partnership with Sleep Experts, Girl Scouts can collect blankets to donate to Family Gateway. Through the Warm Hearts, Warm Hands initiative, Girl Scouts can also collect mittens, hats, and scarves to donate to their economically-disadvantaged sisters in Community Programs. Click here to learn more about how you can participate.

Good Morning Texas Thursday, Nov. 3:

We will be promoting Share the Warmth on Good Morning Texas on Thursday, November 3. If you have Girl Scouts that are available to participate in the Good Morning Texas segment, please fill out this survey. Your Girl Scouts must be participating in the Share the Warmth initiative in order to be eligible for this opportunity.

*Please note that this is a first come, first served opportunity for a small number of Girl Scouts. GSNETX staff will contact you if your Girl Scouts are selected.

Cookie Updates

NEW!! ONLINE TROOP COOKIE MANAGER TRAINING!

We are thrilled to offer online Troop Cookie Manager training! For the first time ever, TCMs will have the opportunity to train from the comfort of their own home while reducing their impact on the environment. If your troops have already chosen a Troop Cookie Manager for the 2012 Cookie Program, please ensure that they have completed a Volunteer Application and Criminal Background Check at www.gsnetx.org/applynow or www.gsnetx.org/reapplynow. Online Troop Cookie Manager training is mandatory and participants must have an updated volunteer record in order to register and complete the course.

SERVICE UNIT COOKIE COORDINATOR TRAINING DATES:

Saturday, October 29, 2011

S. Dallas, Southern Sector Service Center

Cookie Rookie:10:00am - 2:00pm

Cookie Veteran: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Denton, Denton Service Center

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Tyler, East Texas Regional Center

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Paris, Paris Service Center

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Saturday, November 5, 2011

N. Dallas, JoAnn Fogg Service Center

Cookie Rookie:10:00am - 2:00pm

Cookie Veteran: 10:00am - 12:00pm

SU Cookie Coordinator training is mandatory and participants must have an updated volunteer record in order to register and complete the course. If your Service Unit has already chosen a Coordinator for the 2012 Cookie Program, please ensure that they have completed a Volunteer Application and Criminal Background Check at www.gsnetx.org/applynow or www.gsnetx.org/reapplynow. To register for Service Unit Cookie Coordinator training, visit www.gsnetx.org/myaccount and search for "SU Cookie" in the search box.

Program Updates

"Leaving a Legacy: Camp Whispering Oaks" will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2011. To RSVP or to find out more information, please click here.

Discovery Day: "Waste not, want not!" will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 9:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. at the Southern Sector Service Center. Brownies and Juniors will explore how much waste they produce and help plan an e-waste campaign while learning there is no "away" to throw things. The cost is $5 per girl due at the time the registration form is submitted. Registration forms are due by November 11, 2011.

Calling all Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors...

Come test your camp skills and learn some new ones on Nov. 4 - 6, 2011 at Camp K. Cooking, fire building, and finding your way are part of the fun for the weekend. Adults, this is your chance to get Advance Troop Camp Training while with your girls! Click here for more information.

Horses in East Texas?

Enjoy this two hour Horses & Me program where girls will learn about breeds and anatomy of horses, parts of a saddle, and what it takes to keep a horse healthy. This outdoor program has limited horseback time. $10 per girl. Click here for more information.

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary by participating in something BIG!

Share your reason for being a Girl Scout! Enter the 100 Reasons to be a Girl Scout contest. Express yourself through video, song, photos, essay or poetry. Winners will be announced in February 2012. www.gsnetx.org/100

Earn the one of a kind GSNETX 100th Anniversary patch. Girls will learn about our history by exploring various people, places and things representing the 100 years to earn the center portion of the patch. Ten rockers (attachments) to be placed around the center portion of the patch will have requirements based around Girl Scout traditions such as leadership, citizenship and service. Click here to learn more about the patch

Participate in the GSUSA initiative Forever Green, and join with other Girl Scouts from across the nation to reduce waste associated with plastic bag use. For more information on how to get involved see our Earth Day 2012 page.

Membership Updates

SU and Troop Finance Reports If for any reason you have not submitted your SU or Troop Finance Report for 2010-2011 membership year, please do so no later than October 28th.

Girl Scout Cookie Program Information about the Girl Scout Cookie program will begin to be shared in November. Please remember that every girl must be currently registered to participate in the cookie program. Girl and Adult registrations should be submitted to your Service Unit Registrar or your Membership Specialist at your local service center.

A Thinking Day for the Next Generation: Come and celebrate our 100th Anniversary by taking a journey into the past and future of Thinking Day. When: Saturday, February 4, 2012, 12:00p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Where: Cityplace Convention Center, 2711 Haskell Ave Dallas, TX 75204 Registration for this event will be available on November 21, 2011. There will be a $5.00 fee per girl to participate in this event.

Area 3 Marshall Parade and 100th Celebration Event

Come join us and participate in the Marshall Wonderland of Lights Parade on December 6th. Contact Kim Johnson at 903-526-2007 for more details.

In addition, to celebrate our 100th, we are having our Walking in Juliette's Shoes event on March 4th from 2:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. at our East Texas Regional Center. We need volunteers to help with the day and various booths. Contact Kim Johnson at 903-526-2007 to help.

Areas 4 and 6 2011 Holiday Parades

Come out and support Girl Scouts and our 100th Anniversary float at one of the following parades:

Irving Holiday Parade: December 3, 2011

Allen Holiday Parade: December 4, 2011

Flower Mound Holiday Parade: December 10, 2011

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Severina Ware at 972-912-3030.

Adult Development Updates

IS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS CURRENT?

Did you know your primary email address is used by the system for confirmation of registration and many other communications? If you have already activated access to your "EBIZ" account, visit www.gsnetx.org/myaccount, enter your username and password, and please verify your email address is current. If you have not already activated access to your "EBIZ" account, go to www.gsnetx.org/activate and activate now!

BECOME A TRAINER

Why are Volunteer Council Trainers important? Because Volunteer Trainers are vital to fulfillment of the Girl Scout Mission. The promise of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is only as strong as our leaders' understanding of what that means, and rests entirely upon how prepared they feel to deliver the program.

It takes trainers to make that happen. 4 more opportunities to attend a Train the Trainer Workshop are available this fall. Email dtharp@gsnetx.org for more information. Click here to register for a workshop.

Program Grade Level Adventures Home Studies Are Here!

Self-directed learning offers the opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge as a Girl Scout volunteer without leaving the comfort of your home or office.

The ADVENTURES courses are the right course for Troop Leaders who wish to learn more about the specific behavioral characteristics of girls at their program level, explore how to involve girls in decision-making & troop government, and discover program and resources available. This course also introduces how to teach games, songs, ceremonies for the grade level. Order your Adventures home study by clicking here.

Girl Scout Alumnae know firsthand the transformative impact that Girl Scouts has on a girl's life. It is estimated that there are more than 50 million Girl Scout alumnae in the United States today representing the millions of leadership experiences provided by Girl Scouting since 1912. It is time to bring these amazing women back to Girl Scouts! With nearly 1 million alumnae living in North Texas, we embrace the opportunity to engage a significant number of women to support girl leadership as our future volunteers, advocates and donors.

Please help us support this important initiative by becoming an Alumnae Association sponsor. The sponsorship year runs from November 2011 - October 2012. As we embark on the second century of Girl Scouting we will have many exciting opportunities to promote Alumnae Association membership, events, and sponsors.

The Association creates unique ways to bring these women back to their Girl Scouting roots. Whether it is through networking events, mentoring opportunities, camp visits, service projects or other activities, every former Girl Scout wants to re-engage in a special way. We want to provide the opportunity for her to once again embrace the largest all-girl organization in the world and to become part of the largest network of women in the country. The amazing girls of today need the leadership of these amazing women. For more information about the Alumnae Association and or to join now, click here.

Chi Omega Christmas Market

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is a beneficiary of the Chi Omega Christmas Market, which will be held at the Dallas Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A from Thursday, November 17th - Saturday, November 19th.

We have 30 "one time admission" tickets that allow you to attend Thursday from 1:00 - 9:00 pm, Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm for $12 and 15 "first call" tickets which allow you readmission for any of the above times, and the opportunity to view the market from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm on Thursday for $20.

If you are interested in purchasing a ticket, please contact Lindsay Thompson at lthompson@gsnetx.org . Any tickets not sold by our organization will be returned to Chi Omega.